Luton Town manager Nathan Jones has called for ‘some sane decisions to be made’ when the fate of Power Court and Newlands Park are decided because a new stadium will be ‘key’ to the Hatters’ future.
His men won 2-0 against Burton Albion on Saturday to make it six League One wins on the spin, extending their hold on second place by four points and confirming Town as Europe’s most in-form side.
With back-to-back promotions and a return to the Championship looking stronger by the week, Jones knows that sustaining the club at a higher level hinges on next month’s planning decision for Power Court and Newlands Park.
As part of plans submitted by 2020 Developments – the property arm of the football club – the Hatters are set to get a new 17,500-seater stadium at Power Court, while the town of Luton will get completely transformed by other exciting facilities on the now derelict town centre site.
And Newlands Park, by junction 10 of the M1 motorway, would provide an iconic new gateway to the town with even more facilities. Both sites would act as a catalyst to further regeneration, while boosting the local economy by more than £250million a year and creating 10,000 new jobs.
The fate of Power Court will be decided on January 16 when Luton Borough Council’s development control committee meet, with a two-week wait before they meet again on January 30 to determine Newlands Park whether or not Newlands Park will be approved.
For Jones, it’s critical for the future of the club and for the people of the town, that both proposals get given the green light.
“There’s only so far we can go without the stadium, so it’s vital,” Jones said of the January decision dates.
“You see the fans, the club is rocking, the club is a great place. They’re all pulling in the right direction. It’s a fantastic, fantastic club, it really is. But we just need some right decisions, some sane decisions to be made.
“The people of Luton need what we’re going to give them. Not just the stadium, which will mean we can compete at a higher level, but also the retail, the development that Newlands Park gives us.
“It will mean that the people of Luton, the people of Bedfordshire, people all around will get something better. Luton needs it.
“Without being disrespectful, and I’ve said this a million times, we need it.
“The people of Luton need it and it’s sanity to put it [the planning applications] through, so we’re just waiting on that decision, but that’ll be key to how far we can go in the future.”